Pompeii

Everybody has heard of Pompeii. I knew it was the city that was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius a long time ago. I figured it would be a pretty incredible place to visit, but wow.

Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius behind

We have seen a lot of Roman ruins by now, from Egypt to Turkey to Verona and Rome. Spectacular reconstructions of some of the most prominent buildings of those long ago abandoned settlements have amazed us before. Pompeii is different. Everything is still there. It's a big city, and still you can see the remains of not only the prominent religious and political buildings, but the hovels and villas occupied by plebeians and patricians. You can walk the streets and see how the city was planned. Very little imagination was required to picture toga-wrapped Romans leaving their villa and walking to the amphitheatre to see the gladiatorial combat.

One of the two theatres

I think this is a public toilet

By now I know that the wealthier Romans lived luxuriously. Some of the villas provided further proof. They had multiple bedrooms, dining areas, peristyle gardens, formal courtyards, some even had space dedicated to exercising. Essentially every room had tiled mosaic floors, and most had frescoed walls. At Pompeii we saw it all, from simple geometric mosaics to intricate battle scenes.

A garden fresco

A guard dog mosaic entryway

What surprised me was that even the smaller, less obviously wealthy houses were decorated with mosaics and frescoes also. We realized that the middle class of Romans was bigger than we thought, and certainly bigger than the Egyptian one.

Some of the wall frescoes

We also saw the horrific final moments of the city preserved in plaster casts. I read that the cloud of gasses and rocks was aloft for twelve hours before descending on the city with a speed of 50 mph and a temperature of 400 Celsius, instantly killing all those who remained. If that wasn't terrifying enough, Kim said she wants to get up close with Mt. Etna, an active volcano, before we leave!

Casts of the victims and excavated remains

Of course the site is too big to see everything, but one the must-sees is a tiny brothel. I think it will be my favorite memory of Pompeii, but probably not for the reasons you're thinking right now. On the walls are frescoes designed to inspire the clients to try some new and different techniques. We learned that they were probably copies from a Greek instructional manual that was circulating at the time. While it was interesting to see 2300 year-old erotic art, it was hilarious to people watch there. Remembering the retired Americans elbowing each other in the stomach while pointing and giggling like a bunch of middle school kids, or eavesdropping on some septuagenarians using words atypical of that generation still makes me smile. I think it always will!

More fine mosaics

A Papal Shoutout

So many things to say about Rome really. I feel overwhelmed at the task of relaying back what an incredible place it is. Kim and I looked through our Rome pictures, trying only to choose good ones, and two hours later we uploaded something like ninety photos. Each one has a story, but one of my favorites happened when we went to St. Peter's Square on Sunday for the Pope's weekly blessing.
We had been to the Vatican twice before this, but Sunday's atmosphere was certainly different. Everyone was waiting excitedly for the Pope to appear in his window, about 5 stories up and 800 meters from the crowd. He appeared to a great cheer from the crowd and commenced his blessing in Latin.
I'm obviously not a Latin scholar, but I could tell when the important part was happening, the sign of the cross, something about patri and spiritu sanctu. He then spoke a few words in some other languages I recognized. Then the strange part. It went something like this, "Gibberish gibberish gibberish BARCELONA!" Big cheer from a small section of the crowd. "Gibberish gibberish gibberish MADRID!" Big cheer from a different small section. I said to Kim, "I think the Pope is giving a shoutout!" It went on. And on. More gibberish and then a city name that we could understand, followed by small groups cheering wildly. It was at this point that the occasion of going to be blessed by the Pope changed suddenly from solemn religious event into cheesy rock concert, and consequently into one of my favorite memories!

Today I Nearly Lost an Eye

As you travel further south in Italy, you are warned that the cities become more dangerous. People tell you to be very careful. Don't keep anything in your pockets. Use a purse that goes over your shoulder. This is where the Mafia originated, and organized crime is still prevalent. So far on this trip we have been quite careful and certainly lucky. Well, I was thinking, I have been to Nairobi, Kenya! This can not compare to Africa! I will be careful, but I know what I am doing.

The talk of bribery and corruption, the garbage on the street, mopeds zooming around everywhere carrying three people and/or Cat-in-the-Hat like stacks of goods--Naples sure seems a lot like Africa. But I was not prepared for the danger that was in store here.

Today I nearly lost an eye.

Michael and I discussed tonight how, as we travel through Italy, our stereotypes have become more and more fulfilled as we move south. Both of us have Italian grandparents, and we learned that our ancestors came from the south. Turns out most Italian emmigration originated in the South, so I guess that makes sense. The people here look like we imagined they should; they sound like we imagined, and they gesture like our mothers! The dangerous issue here is...the hand gesturing! So far we have even seen extremely theatrical hand gesturing by people having conversations on their cell phones, while driving and conversing with the person on the back of their motorcycle, and as if that is not enough, today I ran into a giant tree branch on the crowded sidewalk to avoid being jabbed in the eye with a cigarrette by a lady walking down the street telling a story. I have made it through allright, but a little shaken.

If you are headed to Southern Italy, consider yourself warned.

Our Front Door View

THIS (follow the link and then click on street view)is the view from our front door. We've rented a small apartment, 230 square feet, complete with kitchen and bath. We about 100 feet from the ruins of the huge Theatre of Marcellus, and just outside the door are the 2000 year-old ruins of a portico built and named for Augustus's sister Octavia. We're having a fantastic time here in Rome--more to follow!